Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching apparatus for controlling devices having at least one mechanical momentary-contact switch for mechanically switching a functionality of a device. In particular, the present invention relates to a switching apparatus for controlling the intensive stages of an extractor hood.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,093 A1 discloses an extractor hood having an electronic control system. The control device contains a microprocessor that drives the fan motor accordingly. The desired functions are input by a keypad. In addition to a number of pushbutton momentary contacts for various intensive stages, a pushbutton momentary contact is also provided for causing the extractor hood to continuously run. However, the pushbutton momentary contacts only act as pulse generators for the microprocessor. Purely electronic momentary-contact control is therefore provided. The manufacturing costs of electronic momentary-contact control systems of this type are relatively high.
Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application DE 198 02 332 A1 discloses an electrical rocker switch in which a moveable contact part bridges stationary contacts. The moveable contact part is loaded by a spring toward one switched position and, in the other switched position, by a magnet that is in the form of a permanent magnet. The magnetic field of the permanent magnet can be influenced by the magnetic field of an electromagnet such that the moveable contact part, which is held in a prestressed state, is moved into its other switched position when the magnetic field of the electromagnet is built up.